Water-motor.



G. S. GILLETT.

WATER MOTOR. APPLIUATION FILED OCT. 3, 1911.

Patented May 13, 1913.

UNITE STATES T OFFKCE.

GEORGES. GILLETT, F HALFWAY, OREGON, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO CHARLES BLACK, 0F WALLOWA, OREGON.

WATER-MOTOR.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Gnome S. Glnmrr'r, citizen of the United States, residing at Halfway, in the county of Baker and State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in WVatenldotors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to current motors and is designed more particliilarly as an improvement on the motor shown and de scribed in my co-pending application for Letters Patent of the United States filed April 12, 1910, Serial No. 555,055. In the motor of the said co-pending application, the rotor has direct connection by means of a universal joint with a rigid crank-shaft for operating a water elevating pump. But I have found that a motor so constructed not as efficient as one such as shown in the present application in which the shaft of the rotor is connected with the pump operating shaft through the medium of a flexible transmission shaft, for the reason that when direct connection is had between the pump actuating shaft and the shaft of the rotor, the rotor cannot as readily assume its proper position within the stream from which power is to be taken as with the provision of a flexible shaft. The provision of such a flexible transmission shaft therefore constitutes one feature of the present invention. I have also ascertained by experiment that the specific form of blade of the present application, which blade will be presently fully described, is more efficient than the form of blade shown in the co-pending application, and this specific form of blade constitutes another feature of the present invention.

The invention also contemplates the provision of novel means for mounting the blades of the rotor upon the shaft thereof.

Further, the invention contemplates a novel device for connecting the ends of the flexible transmission shaft to the rotor shaft and the pump operating shaft.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of the motor embodying the present invention illustrating the relative arrangement of the elements thereof and the manner of positioning the motor in a stream. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view through the rotor of the motor. Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of one end of the rotor and illustrating in section the device for connect- 55 ing the transmission shaft to the shaft of Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 3, 1911.

shaft.

Pat entod May 13, 1913.

Serial No. 652,583.

the rotor. Fig. 41: av view partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal section illustrating the connection between the pump operating shaft and the transmission (fol-responding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawing by the same reference characters.

in the drawing, the rotor of the motor is illustrateil as comprising a shaft 1 having mounted thereon blades 2, against which the current of the stream in which the motor is disposed is designed to run in order to rotate the shaft of the rotor. As will be observed from inspectim'i of Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the diawing, the blades 2 are mounted upon the shaft 1 by means of shanks 33 secured at their inner ends to the shaft and projecting r: dially therefrimi and having the blades 2 attached to substantially their longitudinal median line, and braces 41.- are secured at their inner ends to the shaft 1 and attheir outer ends to the outer ends of the shanks 3, in the manner illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing. By reference to F 1, 2 and 3 it will be observed that the blades 2 are of substantially elliptical form, the blades being of less diameter at their inner ends than at their outer ends and at their said outer" ends being in a plane more nearly at right angles to the axis than at their inner ends. The blades are so forn'led with the end in view that the current acting against the blades will operate first against the blades at their inner ends and will sweep outwardly across the face of each blade, and in so doing will distribute its force over the broader outer end portions of the blades, more resistance being offered to the current by the outer end portions of the blades than the inner end portions thereof. By referring to Fig. 1 of the drawing it will be observed that the blades are arranged in a spiral series about the rotor shaft 1 so that none of the blades will interfere with the action of the current against any of the other blades.

Power is to be transmitted from the rotor above described to a pump operating shaft which is indicated by the numeral 5 and is mounted in suitable bearings 6 upon a platform 7 arranged at any convenient point upon the shore of the stream. The pumps operated from this shaft are indicated by the numeral 8 and are of the ordinary water elevating type and the Water conducting main leading from the several pumps is indicated by the numeral 9 and serves to conduct water to any desired point. The pump operating crank-shaft 5 is preferably in two sections, one indicated by the numeral 5 and the other by the numeral 10 and these sections are designed to be connected by means of a clutch, the members of which are indicated by the numeral 11. The clutch member upon the shaft 5 is splined thereon and is designed to be moved into and out of cooperative engagement with the member upon the shaft 10, by means of a hand-lever 12.

The connection between the rotor shaft 1 and the pump operating shaft is in the nature of a flexible transmission shaft, as before stated, and this shaft is indicated by the numeral 13 and is preferably in the form of a suitable length of steel cable. One end of the shaft 13 is connected to the rotor shaft 1 at one end of the latter by means of a thimble 14 which has universal joint connection as at 15 with the said end of the rotor shaft, this thimble being provided with an inwardly enlarged socket 16 into which the said end of the cable 13 is fitted, a fillingof Babbitt or other similar metal 17 being flowed into the socket 16 around the end of the cable inserted therein. Suitable securing pins 18 are then driven through oppositely located openings in the wall of the socket and through the said end of the cable, the pins serving to prevent rotation of the end of the cable in the socketand the filling of Babbitt metal in which the end of the cable is emf bedded, preventing its withdrawal from the socket. To the outer end of the shaft 10 there is connected a short rigid shaft 19, by means of a universal joint 20, and the opposite end of this shaft 19 is threaded as at 21 into a thimble 22 into which is fitted the other end of the cable 13 comprising a flexible transmission shaft, the said end of the cable being secured in the socket of the thimble 22 in the same manner as its first described end in the socket of the thimble 14:.

From the foregoing description of the invention it will be readily understood that the current of the stream acting against the blades of the rotor will serve to rotate the shaft 1 and that power will be transmitted from the rotor through the flexible shaft 13 to the pump operating shaft 5. It will further be understood that due to the provision of the flexible transmission shaft 13 the rotor 1 may more readily assume a proper position within the stream than if connected directly to the pump operating shaft, and in fact I have found by the actual use of a motor constructed in accordance with the present invention that due to the angular relation of the blades to the shaft 1 of the rotor, the rotor will assume a position obliquely to the direction of the current flow and the current is therefore enabled to act more effectually against the blades. The rotor assumes the position stated above when the clutch 11 is thrown to connect the shaft 5 for rotation with the flexible shaft 13, and I have further found by actual experiment that when the clutch is thrown out, the rotor will automatically move in toward the shore of the stream in which it is positioned, as the blades will offer less resistance to the flow of the current.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is A current motor including a drive shaft, a transmission shaft operatively connected to the drive shaft, and a rotor operatively connected to the transmission shaft, said rotor comprising an elongated cylindrical float, a plurality of L-shaped blade shanks secured in spaced spiral relation to each other upon the float, one arm of each shank being bent spirally about the float, while the. other, arm extends radially from the float and in a plane at an acute angle to the axis of the float, blade bearing against the forwardface of eachr'adial arm, a plurality of diagonal braces secured each by one end to the float in longitudinal spaced alinement with one of the shanks, and a plurality of fastening devices passed through the blades and shanks, one of said devices in each instance also passing through the free end of the brace to secure the blades and braces to the shanks.

In testimony whereof I aflix my-signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE S. GILLETT. [1,. s]

IVitnesses G. N. GRAY, A. M. GILLETT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

